What organization is responsible for keeping the commanding officer informed about ship capabilities after a casualty?

Damage control central plays a crucial role in maintaining situational awareness regarding a ship's capabilities, especially after a casualty. It acts as the central hub for damage assessment, reporting, and managing the overall response to incidents on board. When a casualty occurs, damage control central gathers information from various sources about the active conditions on the ship, such as flooding, fire, or equipment status. This ensures that the commanding officer is kept informed about the situation to make strategic decisions regarding the ship’s operations and necessary actions.

In contrast, other entities like the deck division, repair parties, and the operations department may handle specific tasks or functions related to damage control and ship operations, but they do not have the same overarching responsibility for comprehensive communication and coordination during a casualty. Their roles can be more specialized and localized, contributing to the efforts managed by damage control central, but lacking the direct responsibility to inform the commanding officer about the broader state of the ship in such critical situations.